


one day at a time

by sonlali



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:00:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27172132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonlali/pseuds/sonlali
Summary: dani and jamie cuddle in bed, and jamie reminds dani to take things one day at a time.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 17
Kudos: 248





	one day at a time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [singsongsung](https://archiveofourown.org/users/singsongsung/gifts), [doingthemost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/doingthemost/gifts), [wanderinghope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderinghope/gifts).



> ria, justine, and joie — thank you for rolling around with me in feelings over these sweet, haunted lesbians in love. <3

Dani tucks her hands under her arms to warm them. The bed always feels so chilly without Jamie in it. She can hear Jamie in the bathroom brushing her teeth, humming around the toothbrush and rapping her knuckles against the countertop. Jamie is always so noisy when she’s getting ready for bed, her fingers always fidgeting with the soap dispenser or tapping along the doorframe. Jamie’s hands always itch to dig into her garden, only truly at rest when she’s with her plants. Dani can always count on a symphony of clicks, taps, and knocks to signal her girlfriend’s return from her garden.

Owen once joked that it must drive Dani crazy, the constant noise and restless movement, but Dani loves these sounds that mean Jamie is here. The clattering from the bathroom is a reminder of the life they have together, a cacophonous symbol of domestic bliss. There’s a loud _thump_ and a muffled swear, which most likely means that a bottle of hand lotion or perhaps Dani’s face cream has been knocked to the floor by antsy fingertips skittering across the bathroom countertop. Dani bites back a smile as the bathroom light flicks off and Jamie finally joins her in the bedroom. 

“What are we watching, Poppins?” Jamie settles in beside her on their bed, picking up a well-loved book. Dani’s legs immediately uncurl to tangle with Jamie’s, her body seeking the warmth and familiarity of her most important person. 

“It’s just _Sabrina_.” Dani inhales deeply, smiling as her body relaxes. 

“ _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_ yesterday and _Sabrina_ tonight? Seems I have some competition for your affections, mm?”

Dani laughs. “Don’t worry, I have room in my heart for both of you.”

Jamie’s hand slips over to rub at her thigh, and she cracks open her book, flipping through the worn pages. Dani looks over and hums quietly. 

“ _Little Women_ again?”

“It’s a comfort story.” Jamie shrugs.

“ _Little Women_ always makes me cry. How can something with so much sadness be your comfort story?” Dani turns away from the television screen to snuggle closer to Jamie, interlacing their fingers and smiling at the way Jamie’s thumb rubs lightly against hers. Those busy fingers have to keep moving, but Dani likes when she can be the one to settle Jamie’s restless hands. She likes to take Jamie’s hands in her own and absorb some of that nervous energy. She likes to think of it as a transfer of worries — Dani takes on some of Jamie’s nerves in exchange for Jamie helping to fight off the beast inside her. They hold onto each other to share the burden. 

“Something sad doesn’t have to erase all the happy, Poppins. You know that.” Jamie drops her head to Dani’s shoulder, and Dani thinks that maybe they aren’t talking just about the book. “There’s also so much love and joy and triumph in the story. The good and the bad are all a part of the puzzle. You can’t complete the puzzle if you don’t have all the pieces, and that’s what makes it so beautiful. All those moments coming together to create something special.”

Dani rests her head on Jamie’s, closing her eyes to secure this moment firmly in her memory. This moment when she feels so happy, so loved, and so at peace. She keeps her eyes shut and focuses on the soft rustle of Jamie flipping a page in her book, on the rich, earthy scent of soil that always lingers even after Jamie showers, on the warm press of Jamie’s body against hers. They lie in silence for a long while, Jamie immersed in her favorite book and Dani lost in her thoughts. 

When she speaks again, Dani is so reluctant to break this perfect moment of peace that she can’t bear to raise her voice above a whisper. 

“Wh–when she… when she comes for me—” Dani clears her throat, forcing down the emotion fighting its way up. “Will it still be worth it? Will the good be enough to make it worth facing what we both know is coming?”

Dani squeezes her eyes closed tighter at the sound of Jamie’s book shutting with a soft snap, already shying away from her girlfriend’s searching gaze. The bedcovers rustle beside her as Jamie wriggles onto her side to face her. Jamie presses a warm hand to Dani’s hip, gently encouraging her to roll over until they’re facing. Dani moves willingly, but keeps her eyes firmly shut, focusing on keeping her breathing even.

Jamie doesn’t speak. They lie side by side silently, legs twining together and hands clasping between their chests. Dani listens as Jamie takes deep, intentional inhales and slow, steady exhales. Dani knows Jamie is wordlessly encouraging her to match their breathing until Dani’s is no longer fast and anxious. She knows Jamie is going to wait her out, not speaking until Dani opens her eyes. She does this sometimes. When Dani retreats into herself, Jamie forces her out, gently but persistently. 

Dani’s heartbeat slows and the dark, anxious thoughts retreat slightly. Jamie knocks their noses together lightly, a gentle request for Dani to open her eyes. Dani does, but averts her gaze, not quite ready to face the eyes that can see right through all her walls to the darkest, most vulnerable parts inside.

“Poppins.” Jamie’s voice is low, her hand wrapping around Dani’s jaw to carefully coax her chin up until their eyes meet. 

“Jamie.” Dani exhales her name, unable to say anything else. Just as she did that very first day, Dani finds peace in Jamie’s steady gaze, her eyes warm with an ever-present hint of mischief that has Dani’s lips twitching up in a helpless smile. 

“Poppins, every day — every _moment_ — with you is worth it. One day at a time is what we've got. We take this one day at a time, and each good day we have together is more than enough to make the bad days worth bearing. We take the bad with the good because that’s what makes it beautiful, yeah?”

Dani laughs out a watery exhale. “Yeah.”

“Yeah. Now, don’t you go being silly and thinking I regret any of this again. Every moment is worth it. I love you.” 

“I love you.” Dani’s words are lost in Jamie’s mouth as they kiss, a firm and grounding press of lips, a soft and insistent reminder that they are together in this moment, alive and happy.

The beast inside her recedes and Dani allows her heart to fill with joy and with love. She may not know what tomorrow will bring, but today she is at peace. One day at a time.

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on tumblr [@landofsonlali](https://landofsonlali.tumblr.com/)!


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